Baring it all

The typical human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. When we run, we use all these parts to propel us forward. Throughout the years, technology has seen to it that every new shoe produced has some sort of innovation to fulfill every runner’s need, whether it’s for cushioning or speed or stability. And runners do spend on expensive shoes.

Then there are a handful of runners who run barefoot. I’ve two friends who routinely do full marathons barefoot. In fact, when one of them was given a pair of shoes to run with, after a few kilometers he simply tied the shoes around his waist and continued the race barefoot. When I asked them why, they said it was because running barefoot is healthier for the feet, it strengthens the legs, and reduces the risk of injury. The only problem is our roads are littered with all sorts of garbage, including broken glass.

Now there are shoes designed for barefoot running. Shoes for barefoot running? Sounds like an oxymoron but it’s not.

“Vibram Five Fingers are shoes designed to mimic the feeling of running barefoot,” says Cherry Ermita, the “big toe” or sales and marketing manager of Barefootwear Inc., the company that distributes Five Fingers in the Philippines. “Anything you can do barefoot, you can do with Five Fingers. The shoes are made by Vibram, an Italian company whose core business is manufacturing shoe soles for brands such as Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nike and Merrell. The Five Fingers shoes were invented in 2007 and won Time magazine’s best invention award for the year.”

Five Fingers is made of abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabric, microfiber and the sole is made of rubber to protect the feet.

Cherry relates that after her family read about the shoes in Time, they contacted the Italian manufacturer and decided to bring the brand to the Philippines. When they did a soft launch on May 1, the stocks sold out in a week. In September, they are doing a bigger launch — and this time they will be ready with stocks coming from Italy.

Cherry encourages people to get used to the feel of Five Fingers first before running with them or using them for other sports, such as scuba diving, boxing, trekking, mountaineering, kettle bell, kapuera, jujitsu, etc. “Wear them for an hour or two a day and then gradually increase your use. You have to use them gradually because although our feet are designed to use all the bones and muscles we have, we’re not really used to running barefoot because our feet are used to being enclosed in shoes.”

So what kind of distance can you do with the Five Fingers? Cherry says, “Athlete Ronald Declarador ran the BDM 102 (Bataan Death March) with his Five Fingers, which he got before they were available in the Philippines and he is planning to use them for the IronMan as well,” which happens today in CamSur.    

That’s 102 punishing kilometers of concrete and trail, going through deserted and populated areas, running into vehicles, drunks and stray dogs. 

Known users of Five Fingers in the Philippines also include surfing and yoga instructor Corey Wills, multi-sport and kapuera master Joseph Pagulayan.

Cherry says, “Even if you’re not into sports, I’d still recommend that you get a pair of Five Fingers because they’re a great way to give your feet a break. Your feet are enclosed in shoes for five days — you’re in heels and closed shoes all the time — and it’s nice to walk around the mall with it.”

Cherry herself is into demanding sports such as wakeboarding, boxing, running, and kettle bell. “Five Fingers has three applications: You can use it for after your sport to relax your feet; you can use it for training, to strengthen your knees and legs; and for the actual sport. Some people say. ‘Oh, I already have, say, boxing shoes.’ But I tell them they can use Five Fingers for training to help strengthen their feet. When you get cramps from running, it’s actually easier to stretch your foot to relieve you from cramps, and Five Fingers is better than using a pair of flip-flops after your sport.”

The shoes do feel a little weird at first, especially when you put them on for the first time. Cherry says it’s crucial that you get the right size. How do you do that when each person’s toes are differently sized? “No. 1, your toes can be touching the tip of the shoe, but they shouldn’t be bent — especially the pinky. Sometimes there’s space in the big toe, but then the pinky is bent.”

The Five Fingers store at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell Center carries all five styles. There’s the Classic, which doesn’t have a strap and looks like a foot sock, and is best for running, fitness training, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, and travel. Even without a strap, it is surprisingly a secure fit.

The Sprint is for running, fitness training, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, and travel. The KSO model is for surfing, light trekking, climbing, canyoneering, running, fitness training, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, sailing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, flats fishing, and travel. Bikila is for running and fitness. Speed, which has laces, is for running, fitness and travel, and light trekking.

Cherry says the shoes don’t expand, except for the Bikila model. “You can use Five Fingers to go reef walking or scuba diving, or even to just walk on the beach. They’re machine washable, just hang them to dry. They’re for exercise, play, and for fun. They stimulate the muscles in your feet and lower legs to make them stronger and healthier. Also, it improves your balance and agility.”

And, on top of that, they’d get you a second look, too.

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The Five Fingers store is located at Level R1 Bridgeway in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati. Call 513-1449, log on to www.barefootwearinc.com.